The Australian Eye and Ear Health Survey (AEEHS)
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Professor Bamini Gopinath See highlights from the launch of the AEEHS

Understanding eye and ear health in older Australians

Vision and hearing loss are among the most common sensory impairments affecting older adults and represent a major public health challenge in Australia.

Funded by: The Martin Lee Centre for Innovations in Hearing Health and The Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

About AEEHS

The Australian Eye and Ear Health Survey (AEEHS) aims to provide the most comprehensive national picture to date of the sensory health of Australians aged 50 and over by identifying the prevalence, associated risk factors, and causes of eye and ear health nationwide.

The AEEHS is a landmark, population-based study of Australians aged 50 years and over, conducted across urban, regional, and remote settings. The survey collected detailed information about participants’ vision and hearing, alongside self-reported and clinical measures of health. It aimed to evaluate progress since the 2015-16 National Eye Health Survey (NEHS), establish a baseline prevalence of hearing loss in Australia, and to inform national health policy and service delivery in sensory health.

Data was collected across health, psychosocial, functional, ocular, and hearing related measures.

Features of the AEEHS

  • Nationwide coverage: 30 sites selected across all six Australian states and two territories, representing urban, regional, and remote areas.
  • Special focus on equity: culturally and linguistically diverse communities, Indigenous Australians, and remote/regional populations.
  • Audiometric testing: air conduction pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry, video otoscopy and a structured interview on hearing history.
  • Ocular assessments: visual acuity, refraction, retinal imaging, and a structured interview on eye history.
  • Self‐report measures of health, quality of life, functional status, employment, social engagement and other pertinent demographic information.
  • Data from the AEEHS will further our understanding of the picture of sensory loss in older Australians by:
    • quantifying the burden of vision and hearing loss in older Australian adults
    • identifying inequalitiesbetween Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations
    • evaluating health system performance (coverage of cataract surgery, refractive correction, hearing devices)
    • guiding future public health planning and policy for sensory health.

Timeline: The AEEHS ran between August 2022 and March 2025

Hearing and vision impairments are often under-recognised yet they carry significant burdens and can affect communication, mobility, quality of life, social connection, and economic participation.

The findings from AEEHS will inform clinical practice, service delivery, policy development and resource allocation across eye and ear health domains.

By following participants over time (for the ocular testing) and establishing baseline population prevalence (for the ontological testing), across diverse populations, the study will provide a method to monitor changes to intervention, service and public health policy overtime.

Chief investigators:

PhD candidates:

  • Richard Kha
  • Oonagh Macken
  • Eleanor Yang

Collaborators:

  • AIATSIS
  • Brien Holden Foundation
  • NACCHO
  • NSW School of Optometry and Vision Science
  • The George Institute for Global Health
  • Westmead Institute for Medical Research (University of Sydney)
  1. Determine the prevalence and incidence of eye and ear conditions across the Australian population aged 50+.
  2. Examine trends over time compared to the NEHS and earlier national surveys.
  3. Identify modifiable risk factors contributing to sensory decline.
  4. Assess access to eye and hearing care, including cataract surgery, refractive correction and hearing aid uptake.
  5. Provide evidence to support strategies for 'closing the gap' in Indigenous eye and ear health.

The Australian Eye and Ear Health Survey (AEEHS) was a population-based, cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted between August 2022 and March 2025 to quantify the prevalence and determinants of vision and hearing impairment among Australians aged 50 years and older.

Participants were recruited using a stratified, multistage random cluster sampling design from 30 geographically diverse sites across all states and territories, ensuring representation across urban, regional, and remote communities, with deliberate oversampling of Indigenous populations.

Eligibility criteria
  • Adults aged 50 years and older.
  • Residents of selected survey areas across all six Australian states and two territories living within the defined survey catchment areas randomly selected using stratified, multistage cluster sampling.
  • Able to provide informed consent to participate.
  • Capable of completing an in-person assessment.
  • For inclusion in the hearing component, participants must have also completed the eye survey.

See some of the key hearing findings from this study:

  • Hearing loss is common, especially with increasing age.
  • Severity of hearing loss increases with age. Mild hearing loss is most common, but about one in seven people have moderate or worse hearing loss that may impact daily communication.
  • Men are more likely to experience hearing loss than women.
  • Hearing aid use remains low. Only about two-thirds of people who would benefit from hearing aids actually use them. Some people report having hearing problems for more than 10 years before seeking help.
  • Lifestyle and health factors matter. History of smoking or diabetes increased the risk of hearing loss.
  • Dual sensory loss (both hearing and vision concerns) affected about one in 40 participants overall, but was nearly twice as common among Indigenous Australians.

Download and read more about the survey: